Electric push-button.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1903. J. Y. PARKE. ELECTRIC PUSH BUTTON.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

IN VEN TOR:

W1 TNESSES:

mwmvmu ATTORNEY:

. :monmumo.v WASNINGTON. 0. c.

No. 727,996. g

STATES] Patented May 12, 1903. l

FFl Ee ELECTRIC PUSH-BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming 'part of Letters Patent No. 727,996, dated May 12, 1903.

Application filedll'anuary 27, 1903., Serial No. 140,754. (No model.) a

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Y. PARKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Iniprovements in Electric Push Buttons, of which the following is a full, clear, and complete disclosure.

. My invention relates to improvements in electric push-buttons of the kind which are particularly adapted for use in connection with automatic gas-lighting apparatus; and its principal object is to improve the construction thereof whereby the same is made more durable, reliable, and efficient in its aceffect upon the wood ofmoisture, vapors, andother objectionable conditions under which the buttons are often usedand to the unreliable action of wood-screws.

In my invention the parts are all compose of metal and some durable insulating material, which are firmly and permanently held in position and which in no way change the external appearance of :the button except to improve the same.

For a full, clear, and exact description of my invention reference may be had to the following specification and to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which-- Figure 1 is an external elevation of a set of four push-buttons included in one base or plate. Fig. 2 is a reverse view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of thedevice as shown in Fig. 2, but being somewhat enlarged. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View taken substantially on the line 4 4, Fig. 2, and also somewhat enlarged. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the contact-arms and its corresponding insulating-washer. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of contactarm and its correspondinginsulating-washer, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the spring battery plate or terminal.

The numeral 1 indicates a fiat metallic plate having openings 2 therein for the purpose of receiving the push-buttons 3. At the corners of saidplate l screw-holes 4 are provided'to allow of said plate being fastened to the wall or other'support upon which it is used. As indicated in Fig. 1, each vertical pair of buttons corresponds to one automatic gas-bu rner or other device to be operated, the upper button of each pair being light in shade, while the lower one is dark.

Between each pair of buttons is provided a machine screw or stud 5, each stud serving the purpose of supporting and holding in position all the parts corresponding to its relative pair of buttons. The finger portions 6 of each button may be made in any convenient form; but I preferto make the same by providing a metallic base 6, having a flange 7 on the inner side thereof and provided on its exterior with the usual mother-of-pearl or smoked-pearl facing. .This construction for the finger. portion of the button renders the same much more durable and reliable in its operation than thatheretofore used.

Upon the studs 5 are first placed insulatingwashers 8. Next above these washers is placed the spring-plate 9, which serves as the common battery-terminal for all the sets of buttons. The spring-plate 9 is provided with pairs of spring-arms 10, corresponding to each set of buttons, the ends of said arms being bent slightly outward and so located that when the plate is in position on the studs said ends will come directly over the bases of the fingerportions of each button. Since the plate 9 is held firmly in position upon the studs, the arms 10 will contact with the bases of the buttons and hold them in position, outwardly pressed, within their corresponding openings. At one end of the plate 9 a binding-postll is provided, having at its top the usual binding-screw 12. This binding-post 11 usually receives the end of the battery-wire.

Next above the plate 9 on the studs or screws 5 is placed a second insulating-washer 13 and above this one of the contact-arms 14. This contact-arm is provided with a binding-screw 15 and also has .a groove. or channel 16 to hold one end of a connecting-wire firmly in position andgive a goodcontact for the'same, althoughit is obvious that the connectingwire may be hooked around the binding-screwinthe well-known way. The arm 14 is preferably made in the shape shown in the figures of the drawings and has an opening therein to receive the stud or screw 5 sufficiently large to insure its not coming in contact with said stud or screw. Next above the arm 14 is placed a third insulating-washer 17, and above this upon each stud or screw 5 is placed the second contact-arm 18. This contact arm is of substantially the same shape as the contact-arm 14, but has its end 19 bent slightly toward the base of the button 6, so as to bring its edge substantially the same distance from the arm as is the arm 14, thereby giving the same play to the button which corresponds to the arm 18 as that corresponding to the arm 14. This arm 18 is also provided with a binding-screw 20 and a corresponding groove or channel 21. Next above the arms 18 upon each stud or screw 5 is placed a fourth insulating-washer 22 and above this an ordinary metallic washer 23. Nuts 24 are placed upon the end of the studs or screws 5 and retain all the above-mentioned parts in position firmly in contact with each other.

As additional means to hold the washers in position upon the studs or screws 5 and to hold the arms in position axially between the washers, so as to keep them from contacting with said studs, I provide said washers with notches or recesses 25, as plainly indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. These notches are diametrically opposite and are equal distances from the hole 26 in the insulatingwasher. Corresponding to these notches I provide the contact-arms 14c and 15 with projections or nibs 27, one of which projects from one side or surface of said arm and the other from the opposite surface. These are adapted to enter the notches in the adjacent washers, and it will be seen, as indicated in Fig. 4, that said projections hold the arms firmly in position axially and also keep them from turning laterally. The plate 9 is also provided with corresponding projections 28 and 29, which hold its adjacent washers in position, and since said plate passes over several studs in a single push-button plate or base the parts are all firmly anchored in position, and there will be no possibility of the arms 10 becoming out of alinement with the buttons or finger-pieces 6. When only one pair of push-bu ttons are mounted upon a single base, the said base may also be provided with projections to engage the first washer, which prevents all the washers and arms from turning about the single stud or screw.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modified form of connection for holding the washers and arms in their relative position upon the studs 5. In this form the insulating-washers are provided with four holes or recesses 29, equally spaced apart in the material of said washers, and the arms 14 and 18 are provided with nibs or projections 30, there being four nibs to each arm, two of which project from one side and two from the opposite side of each arm. These are arranged diametrically opposite each other and also correspond with the holes or recesses 29 in the insulating-washers. It will be seen that in this form the nibs or projections 30 have substantially the same function as those first described, it being merely a matter of choice which are considered the most convenient and serviceable.

It will be noted that each pair of contactarms 10 upon the plate 9 are exactly alike. This permits the base-plate of the push-buttons to be extended indefinitely to contain any number of pairs of buttons that may be desired, and the same stampings may be used -for a small number of buttons as would be used on a larger number by simply cutting the plates or stampings transversely at the desired point.

It will be seen that the construction above described gives more space for the terminals of the connecting-Wires within the opening of the support upon which the buttons are placed and also does away with all undesirable conditions, such as warping, expansion, or contraction, Wood-screws, and all other features which are objectionable where complete reliability and efficiency are desired.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; but

What I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. An electric push-button comprising, a base or supporting plate having pairs of openings therein, buttons in said openings, contact-arms located so as to cooperate with said buttons to close electric circuits, and a single post or stud located adjacent each pair of buttons to support and fix said arms.

2. An electric push-button comprising, a base having pairs of openings therein, buttons in said openings, a single contact-plate having arms arranged in pairs to correspond with the pairs of buttons, a stud or post for each pair of buttons and adapted to retain said contact-plate in position, and additional contact-arms carried by said posts and corresponding in position to the arms of said firstnamed plate.

3. An electric push-button comprising, a base or supporting plate having pairs of openings therein, buttons in said openings, a post corresponding to each pair of buttons and located between said openings, a contact-plate common to all of said posts or studs and having arms corresponding to the pairs of buttons, additional arms carried by said studs and corresponding to said first-named arm, insulating-washers separating said plate and arms, and means for retaining said parts in position upon the studs.

4. An electric push-button comprising, a base or supporting plate having pairs of openings therein, buttons in said openings, a post corresponding to each pair of buttons and located between said openings, a contact-plate common to all of said posts or studs and having arms corresponding to the pairs of butat a point between any pair of arms to allow' the same to be used with a push-button plate carrying any number of pairs of buttons.

6. An electric push-button comprising, a base or supporting plate, studs'carried thereby, contact parts carried by said studs, insu lating-washers separating said contact parts and having recesses therein, said contact parts having projections extending from the opposite sides thereof and adapted to engage said recesses to hold the parts in position axially upon the studs. r

7. An' electric push-button comprising, a base or supporting plate, studs carried thereby, contact-parts carried by said studs, insulating-Washers separating said contact parts having recesses therein, said *contact parts having projections or bosses stamped therein, extending from opposite sides thereof and adapted to engage said recesses to hold the parts in position axially upon the studs.

8. An electric push-button comprising, a base or supporting plate having pairs of open ings therein, buttons in said openings, a post corresponding to each pair of buttons, a conhand this 26th day of tact-plate common to all of-the said posts 'or studs having arms corresponding to the pairs of buttons, a second arm carried by each stud and corresponding to one of each pair of arms of the plate, a third arm carried by each stud and corresponding to the other of,

each pair of arms of said plate -said lastnamed armhaving its end bent downwardly into the plane of said second-named arm, insulating-washers separating said plate and arms, and means for retaining said parts in position upon the studs.

9. An electric push-button comprising, a base or supporting plate, studs carried thereby, a common terminal plate having arms corresponding to each'pair of buttons and being retained in position by each stud, in-

sulated arms also carried by said studs and 7 corresponding to said first-named arms, a

binding-screw upon said terminal plate, and

a binding-screw upon each of said last-named arms.

10. An electric push-button comprising, a

base or supporting plate, studs carried there- 'by, a common terminal plate having arms corresponding to each pair'of buttons and being retained in position by each stud so as to force said buttons outwardly, insulated arms also carried by said studs and "corresponding to said first-named arms, a bindingpost on said plate, and a binding-screw upon each of said last-named arms.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my January,A.' D. 1903. JOHN Y. PARKE.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. GRADY, EDW. W. VAILL, Jr. 

